How A 35-Year-Old American Turned Burritos Into A Million-dollar Business In India
California Burrito is a popular Mexican fast-food chain in India, renowned for its burritos, rice bowls, tacos, salads, and nachos. While the food is undeniably tasty, the story behind the chain is equally compelling. The venture was established by Bert Mueller, an American entrepreneur who identified the potential to introduce Mexican cuisine to India and build a thriving business.
Mueller's journey to India began in 2010 when he arrived through a study abroad program. He spent six months with an Indian family in Jaipur, as he shared in a podcast hosted by Caleb Friesen, a Canadian living in India. Impressed by the culture and opportunities in India, he decided to build a business here. Noticing the abundance of burger, pizza, and fried chicken outlets but the scarcity of Mexican food options, he sought to address the gap in the market. This vision led to the creation of California Burrito.
Mueller co-founded the venture with fellow Americans Dharam Khalsa and Gaelan Draper. Each partner invested USD 15,000, and they successfully raised an additional USD 250,000 from family and friends through a Tumblr blog that documented their startup journey.
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Initially, the trio planned to open their first restaurant in Gurugram but eventually chose Bengaluru due to more affordable real estate. Although they initially targeted Orion Mall, they ultimately launched their first outlet at Embassy GolfLinks Tech Park, opposite Goldman Sachs.
The first California Burrito outlet quickly became popular. In the first three months, the restaurant was averaging 150 orders per hour, all without any formal marketing. Mueller and Draper even worked behind the counter, serving burritos to customers.
In the early days, Mueller and a team member personally sourced ingredients. They bought a Maruti Omni van and made bi-monthly trips to local markets to stock up on vegetables, an experience that shaped the company's focus on strong unit economics.
Mueller recognised that IT professionals had disposable income and a willingness to try new cuisines, even if some initially attempted to eat burritos with a fork.
California Burrito also entered the corporate catering space, supplying burritos to companies such as Zynga. After opening two additional outlets in Bengaluru, the founders secured USD 750,000 in funding in 2013, led by entrepreneur and angel investor Adhvith Dhuddu. This fresh capital enabled California Burrito to expand to 15 locations, operating on a Company Owned, Company Operated (COCO) model.
By 2020, the brand was thriving. February marked their best month yet, generating Rs 4 crore in revenue across 37 stores. Today, California Burrito has expanded to over 50 outlets across Bengaluru, the National Capital Region (NCR), Hyderabad, and Chennai.
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